London to Brighton

London to Brighton is a film by Paul Andrew Williams, and was released in 2006 in Briton. It is an example of British cinema and uses narrative elements to help to covey its messages and values, and represent living with crime in Briton.

The settings and locations within London to Brighton help to convey a scene of working class. The first scene initiates the spectator into the film with two prostitutes run into a broken down, graffitied public toilet. As the setting moves on to grotty streets and small, grotty flats, the spectator begins to understand that the characters are working class. This conveys the ideal that this may be why they are prostitutes, and indicates that the characters have become involved in this lifestyle of crime due to their working circumstance. A striking contrast is made with the setting as the two female leads enter the house of a doctor. It is a vast house that is over-exposed in a washed out white. The walls, floor and ceiling are all bright, pure white. As the audience is aware that he is a doctor, his house has a clinical tone. White also represents purity and innocence, which is contrasted by Joanne herself, in deep scarlet lipstick and jumper. This shocking visual helps to convey her message of innocence. She is young and does not understand the intensity of what she has got herself into, and the clash of red on white represents the defilement of her and her innocence.

In terms of narrative structure, London to Brighton is set in the female’s point of view. The story follows Kelly and Joanne as they live out the consequences of what they are involved in. This allows the spectator to live as one of them, become involved in their characters and understand what they are going through. However, it is also clear that within this text, the male characters have the authority. Derek, for example, is Kelly’s pimp, and not only sways her into this scenario, but ropes Joanne in with a series of confusing and unflattering questions. Duncan’s depravity is clear from the moment his name is mentioned, but his full lust for power is only revealed at the end as Joanne reveals his action of tying her down and trying to cut her. Stuart, of course, is at the top of the pyramid of power, and his gang-leader bravado and stony glare do not wield throughout the film, as he manipulates all the characters into his idea of a just punishment. The value that is being portrayed is one that women are nothing but helpless victims. Kelly, although the adult in charge and supposedly in control of the situation, is merely used as an object by Derek, and a pawn by Stuart. The male dominance suggests that women are helpless, and can only be coerced by men into doing whatever they like; innocent and nieve.

The main value that the film conveys is the idea of motherhood. Although the characters have only just met, Kelly feels immediately responsible for Joanne, who lost her own mother recently. The two bandy together in an ‘us-against-them’ unity that brings out the value of motherhood through the indication that, as a woman, Kelly cannot resist her maternal instincts, and Joanne, as a young girl, seeks only a female role modal. This also relates to the representation of women within Sweet Sixteen and Bullet boy. Although London to Brighton is the only one of these to follow a female point of view, their presence within the narrative is a common theme. Within the other two films, the only female characters are mothers/sisters/girlfriends; side characters that are only shown in how the male characters affect them.

Within Bullet Boy and London to Brighton, it is also a common ideology that everyone smokes, and conducts in licentious sex. The first thing Ricky does when he leaves prison in Bullet boy is light up a cigarette. Similarly, the first thing Joanne says to Kelly is her asking for a cigarette. This is not a common visual in contempory films, as the health risks have become a wide spread fear among society. However, this does convey the idea that criminals and possibly even the working class as a majority do smoke. In the same way, one of the first things Ricky does when he leaves prison is to have sex with his girlfriend. London to Brighton’s main theme is sex, with the characterisation of prostitutes, pimps, and paedophiles. The norm of sex, smoking, drinking etc that is being portrayed through these films gives the spectator the message that these are common values within these societies; meaning Briton, and the working class.

In conclusion, London to Brighton conveys many messages and values to the spectator. Most of these are very similar with other British films such as Bullet Boy and Sweet Sixteen. These harrowing films capture, and inform the spectator of how different people have to live within criminal and immoral societies.